And here is where it the model breaks down for me in how it works in the NE (very compact) and SE (very spread out and more rural). If the ref the qualifications for a regional league is travel under 3-4hrs then FFL by its nature is a regional league. https://twitter.com/AmateurSoccerUS/status/1358211556950110208

A quick look at the distance the two teams promoting @EPSLsoccer (though have not been announced by the league) has them travelling almost 4 hours for league play.
In Levi's case they will be drive past 8 other clubs within a 3 hour drive to play the Cardinals.t

This disconnect on how things are spaced out is one of my major concerns ab a league like EPSL pushing south. What works up north isn't going copy and paste work down here.
By the nature of how our states are laid out there is inherently more travel.

And if EPSL is shooting for travel under 3-4hrs that puts them in direct competition with what FFL is building as our goal for conferences are to keep travel under 3-4hrs.

Finally the way our local leagues work here in NC pro/rel would be hard to sustain within conferences. A team like Wilson has no local league to drop down to and TASL/PGSL is over an hour drive away.
That is why I say it will be a hard sell to local leagues to be involved, but

are critical to incubating new clubs with ambition to climb.

Here is a visual reference for distances in NC

Yellow = sanctioned 11v11 league
Blue = EPSL
Red = UPSL
Green = FFL

Both clubs currently aligned with EPSL would have a multi hour drive to a local league.

This is what I am talking ab when I say that the south isn't built to replicate a system like EPSL.

What we need is clubs leading the charge to create non-profit leagues that look out for each other and grow up and out from there.

We do have the opportunity to create regional leagues throughout Region 3, not just in the Carolinas, but we don't start that process by building from the regional league level down.

Here are the differences in SC. The only change is I added a black layer to represent former/hiatus teams like @LowcountryUtd, @gvlfc, @MBMutiny, @sparta2020fc, etc.

The distances for local leagues is still pretty far for locations like Florence and Myrtle Beach.

There is also even less club density than in NC. I'm curious is a state league popped up would some of those former clubs return (Lowcountry has already teased it) and where we would see clubs pop up between those major cities.

Most notable to me looking at this map of SC is the lack of representation from GVL. The city is bustling with the sport and the options are local or GVL Triumph currently.

We'll probably be talking about it on @TriSocPod this week and I'll be on @dkcunited soon, and I'm sure the stuff I'm saying here will be a topic.
Happy to talk with anyone about it, but if any of those SC clubs want to slide into my DMs...